Alimony

Definition - What does Alimony mean?

Alimony is a court-mandated support payment made by a spouse, usually the chief provider to the other spouse, during some divorce or separation proceedings. The principle behind alimony is that a spouse must not face unfair financial consequences due to the divorce. Alimony can be classified into four types: temporary alimony, permanent alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and reimbursement alimony.

Justipedia explains Alimony

The concept of alimony is quite old. In earlier eras, divorce was only permissible if it was fault-based. Since men used to be the chief providers of the family, if they committed any fault that resulted in divorce, they were mandated by law to support their wives financially by paying alimony. The laws regarding alimony have changed. The gender bias has been removed in most jurisdictions. In the United States, alimony laws vary by state.